giraffe

noun

gi·​raffe jə-ˈraf 

plural giraffes

1

or plural giraffe : a large fleet African ruminant mammal (Giraffa camelopardalis) that is the tallest of living quadrupeds and has a very long neck and a short coat with dark blotches separated by pale lines

2

capitalized : camelopardalis

giraffish

jə-ˈra-fish 

adjective

Illustration of giraffe

• giraffe 1

Examples of giraffe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

All the giraffes receive joint supplements as a precaution, because the zoo's two previous older giraffes got arthritis pretty bad, Taylor said. —Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 8 July 2025

Its 80 larger-than-life topiary animals, which give the gardens their name, range from bears and stags to elephants and giraffes. —AFAR Media, 3 July 2025

This includes lions and tigers and bears (oh my), baby elephants, giraffes, chimpanzees, pythons, alligators, kangaroos, dolphins and 3,000-pound walruses. —John Tufts, IndyStar, 2 July 2025

Masai giraffes are considered endangered, the zoo said. —Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian giraffa, from Arabic zirāfa

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing giraffe

• reticulated giraffe

Rhymes for giraffe

• behalf
• carafe
• digraph
• distaff
• falstaff
• subgraph
• autograph
• biograph
• cenotaph
• chronograph
• epigraph
• epitaph

Kids Definition

giraffe

noun

gi·​raffe ˈjə-ˈraf 

plural giraffes or giraffe

: a large swift cud-chewing spotted African mammal with a very long neck that is the tallest of living four-footed animals